


Café Universe

by omegas



Category: EXO (Band)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-15
Updated: 2018-01-15
Packaged: 2019-03-05 06:08:14
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,596
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13381761
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/omegas/pseuds/omegas
Summary: Cafe Universe. A mythical place caught between the crossroads of space and time; a place where travelers crossing the cosmos, like Byun Baekhyun, can rest and recharge for their journeys. There, the homesick Baekhyun meets the first Earthling he's seen in years, and his loneliness finally has a chance of being cured.





	Café Universe

**Author's Note:**

> my first fic of the new year! happy new year!  
> all of the planets in the "kaizer system" (manna, venicia, torii) and their inhabitants are from my own original works; and it was a lot of fun incorporating them into this!  
> 

Deep within the cosmos, far beyond the lights of stars and satellites orbiting planets, intergalactic ships rocketed through the darkness between the arms of the Milky Way galaxy. Within the hull of one ship floated Byun Baekhyun; a smuggler making his fortune transferring goods between civilizations.

He couldn't remember the last time he was on Earth, the last time he saw his home of South Korea. Baekhyun rarely even spoke with humans nowadays, using the highest-tech smartphone to translate between alien languages and Korean to get his jobs done. When he wasn't sling-shotting around gassy planets or making camp on an icy moon, his ship's computer told him stories of a place he so longed to visit.

Cafe Universe.  
A mythical place, caught between the crossroads of space and time. It was its own dimension, a place where travelers like Baekhyun could rest and refuel for their journeys across the cosmos. It was true to its name; a warm and homey cafe home to ethereal baristas who tend to travelers' every need. Baekhyun craved this place because he so desperately craved human interaction again; he missed his home, but there was no turning back. He was billions of miles away from Earth. He couldn't go back, even if he tried.

Baekhyun's ship was on autopilot, barreling towards a blue planet orbiting a red giant, the rainbow of colors on the computer's display soothing Baekhyun's soul. Every time he floated through the ship's corridors, the windows showed him the Milky Way's arms, incomprehensibly beautiful and massive. He found some peace in the sights, knowing that his home was out there, somewhere.

Baekhyun sang a song to himself as he pulled himself into his chambers. He wasn't to arrive at his goal for another three days, and the clock in his bedroom reading 12 a.m. told him it was time to rest and pass some time. Time didn't matter in space, but the label reading _Seoul (KST)_ over the clock always brought a smile to his face.

When he slid under the covers, his eyes were closed, but he couldn't stop tossing and turning. The hum of his ships' engines grew louder and louder, and he covered his face with a pillow. The lights of his room were blinding, so he shut them all off, leaving him only with the blue glow of his bedside computer. But, even that seemed to grow brighter...and brighter...and brighter...

Baekhyun shot up in bed. He squinted, but the brightness has already faded away. The humming of his engines has completely stopped, too. He hopped out of bed and pulled the curtains away from his wall-length window, revealing complete darkness. Baekhyun felt his heart begin to race as he crossed the room to check his computer. But, the screen of that too, was dark.

He couldn't float through the ship's corridors fast enough. He used handles on doorways to fling himself to the nearest airlock, grabbing his spacesuit off his shelf the moment he entered. A panel next to the suit's mount glowed green as soon as he lifted it, stopping him in his tracks.

_Outside Oxygen Percentage: 100_  
_Suit Requirement: Unnecessary_

Baekhyun's eyebrows furrowed. He slowly set the suit back down, opting to zip-up the jacket of his soft full-body suit before setting out.

The airlock door opened almost too slowly. When it finally did, there was a beacon in the endless darkness.

A spotlight seemed to shine down on a single, small building. The sign on its face made Baekhyun gasp aloud, his shock echoing through the void.

The sign, in Korean, read _Cafe Universe_.

Baekhyun broke into a sprint and threw the door off its hinges when he made his entrance.

"Oh, a new face. Hello! Welcome to Cafe Universe, traveler."

It was a tall man who greeted Baekhyun, a pair of dark eyes looking up from a coffee cup in his hands. He shot a comforting smile towards Baekhyun, a deep dimple appearing in one of his cheeks. He had a low voice that resonated in his chest when he introduced himself, "I'm Chanyeol. What's your name?"

Baekhyun didn't say a word for a few moments, simply taking in the comfortable cafe. It was themed with shades of beige, square wood tables with matching chairs decorating the cafe. The cup in Chanyeol's hand was printed with a logo on one side -- _the logo of the cafe?_ The smell of fresh coffee and warm pastries soothed Baekhyun's soul, and he found himself taking a seat at the counter across from the stranger.

Chanyeol smiled brightly. He turned away from Baekhyun as he began to prepare a drink, but didn't ignore him, asking, "What brought you here?"

"I...don't know," Baekhyun was honest, "I-I'm Baekhyun, by the way. My nametag probably told you that, haha. I was en-route to Manna, in the Kaizer system, for a pickup. I'm a smuggler."

Chanyeol hummed in interest, and his machine hummed right back. "Manna isn't too far from here. Two or three days? It's always good to take a break, Baekhyun. That's what this cafe is here for."

Chanyeol turned to face Baekhyun as he poured milk into a latte. Baekhyun continued with his story, "I've been on my ship for around a week, going from a lone planet to Kaizer. I have to pick something up in Manna, and drop it off two planets down in Venicia."

Chanyeol nodded as he slid Baekhyun's drink across the counter, eyebrows upturning. "It must be really tough for you. Stay as long as you'd like here. You don't have to pay us anything."

Baekhyun lowered his head in his thanks. When he took the first sip of his drink, his eyes widened. Licking the remaining brown liquid away from his lips, he commented, "This...is amazing!"

Chanyeol was bashful. "We only want the best for our guests."

Baekhyun didn't respond, too absorbed in the warm drink cupped in his hands. Chanyeol gazed upon his new guest with the same softness, taking a mental picture of him. Baekhyun didn't carry common traits of other space travelers; he was well-kempt and handsome, skin glowing under the cafe's hanging lights.

Chanyeol hummed to himself as he turned on a heel, his back facing Baekhyun now. He let out a sharp breath and fanned himself with the collar of his button-down. Making himself useful, he cracked the pastry case open and pulled out a croissant glistening with butter.

As he passed it across the counter to Baekhyun, he made small talk, "Are you an Earthling, too?"

Baekhyun lit right up, and Chanyeol mirrored his enthusiasm. "I'm from South Korea! I saw Korean on the sign outside, so you must be too...right?"

Chanyeol couldn't stop smiling when he nodded. "I've been here for...a really long time. So it's always nice to meet other Koreans!"

There wasn't a single clock in Cafe Universe, but Baekhyun began to lose track of time completely. He enthused with Chanyeol over every aspect of their shared culture; the food, the language, the people. Although they were both billions of miles away from home, Chanyeol and Baekhyun felt completely at home looking into each other's eyes and talking about how much they miss the views of Seoul.

Baekhyun was reluctant when he finally left the cafe. He refilled his cup three or four times, taking his time sipping hot chocolate and laughing at Chanyeol's jokes. When he climbed back into his ship and began his bee-line towards Manna, his memories of Chanyeol played on repeat, his low chuckle ringing in Baekhyun's ears.

The anticipation of seeing Chanyeol again made time pass at the speed of light.

He was greeted on Manna by the planet's unique, slender and towering alien race. Their skin glowed with the same cyan as their home's atmosphere, and black eyes the size of softballs looked upon Baekhyun with sincerity before he departed to Venicia. In between orbiting the sister planet of Earth and meetings with planetary leaders, Baekhyun's thoughts always returned to Chanyeol. He remembered the kindness in his eyes, the comfort he found in the scent of warm drinks and within the sound of Chanyeol's laughter. When he was alone with his thoughts, he let out high-pitched, dreamy sighs to himself.

As time went on, the sighs went from dreamy to dreary. A short flight from Venicia to the next planet over, Torii, gave Baekhyun time to get real with himself. He fancied Chanyeol; that much was obvious. Also obvious was the impossibility of a relationship between the two. Cafe Universe was in a separate dimension, only stumbled upon by those lucky enough to be blessed by the cosmos.

Baekhyun stared out into the vastness of the universe, his sighs fogging his ship's window. With every flickering light he made eye contact with, his eyes glossed over more and more until he finally buried his face in his hands.

"I'll never see him again," he sobbed.

 

In between Venicia and Torii sat another portal to Cafe Universe. When Baekhyun bolted out of his ship and into the shop, he wasn't met with who he anticipated. Standing in the towering Chanyeol's place was a shorter man, eyes peering towards Baekhyun through a curtain of black hair. He smiled a sweet smile, a dimple akin to Chanyeol's appearing on his cheek.

"Welcome back," he said, soft-spoken, "You're...Baekhyun, right? I'm Lay."

Baekhyun recognized him right away as another Earthling. He slid right onto a barstool, spirits lifted and smiling from ear-to-ear as he dove into a deep conversation about Earth life. Lay's _ha-ha-ha_ s were music to Baekhyun's ears, but as their conversation went on, Baekhyun's smile began to fade.

"Something wrong?" Lay inquired.

Baekhyun's voice shook as he sighed. He stirred his latte's spoon around aimlessly, searching for the right words. He eventually mumbled, "I miss home. Earth. South Korea."

Lay hummed in understanding. When Baekhyun continued, he didn't hesitate to stop him.

"I'm light-years away from home. I haven't seen another Earthling in years; then, I found the cafe. I'm happy I did. But then I'm not. I just come here by chance, see other people by chance. Then it's gone. It...hurts. I want to go home and see my friends and family there. I never want to leave them again."

Lay reached across the counter to caress Baekhyun's trembling hand. An instant calm washed over Baekhyun, and when the tension melted from Baekhyun's shoulders, Lay smiled. Baekhyun was slow when he looked up to lock eyes with Lay, and when he did, Lay said, "I have a good feeling that you'll meet an Earth friend soon. Keep holding onto hope, Baekhyun."

 

The heat of the arid Torii became Baekhyun's temporary home. His computers and radar were completely silent, leaving him no other choice than to make himself at home where his last job left him off.

He tried his best to make himself at home; learning the language and being friendly with his neighbors in his apartment complex. But, every time he caught a glimpse of their deep-blue tongues or overheard them banter about their incredible lifespans ( _you're **only** 150?!_ ), Baekhyun's homesickness became more and more overwhelming.

On another hot and sunny day when the people of the city would be lively and bright, a cloud hung over Baekhyun's apartment. Every light was switched off, every curtain pulled back to block out the sun. The minimalist home was spotless, no signs of life to be seen. But in the farthest reaches of the apartment, soft sniffles and trembling sighs could be heard.

Baekhyun's knees were pulled to his chest, face buried in his arms, and he let it all out. His sobs echoed off the walls of his bathroom, his body trembling as if he had the chills. Between pathetic whimpers and sniffles, he would mumble out, "Home. I want to go home."  
As he repeated that mantra, Lay's words from the cafe echoed in his mind. _Keep holding onto hope._

Baekhyun didn't know when he fell asleep; only knowing he was asleep in the first place when he was jolted awake. He blinked sleep and lingering tears out of his eyes which soon began to dart around when two sounds rang out in his apartment.

_Knock Knock_

When he stood, his legs felt like jelly. He wobbled towards the door, hoping what awaited on the other side was a job; preferably, one that took him back towards Earth.

Instead, what awaited him made him nearly scream.

" _Chanyeol?!_ "

There he was; in the flesh. He was dressed from head to toe in khaki-colored gear, a pair of goggles strapped to the top of his head telling Baekhyun that he just returned from an excursion in one of Torii's many deserts. In one hand he held a lanyard with keys, and in the other, a grease-stained paper bag from the planet's famous fast food chain.

Chanyeol hesitated for a few moments, feeling the situation out. He raised the food in offering and asked, "Hungry?"

Baekhyun was a statue. Like a deer caught in headlights, he stared at Chanyeol, eyes the size of saucepans. Chanyeol's nerves made him start to chuckle, but when Baekhyun started to do anything but, his smile dropped.

"No, don't cry," he insisted. Chanyeol threw his things on the floor, hands coming forward to cradle Baekhyun's face and thumbs swiping tears away from his cheeks. "What's the matter? Everything okay?"

Baekhyun sobbed, eyes looking from the floor to the ceiling to keep more tears at bay. "I...thought I would never see you again. Thought I would never see another Earthling again."

Chanyeol shook his head aggressively. "Torii is a haven for displaced Earthlings. There are lots of us here. I'm here, too."

"But...what about the cafe?" asked Baekhyun.

Chanyeol chewed on the inside of his cheek. He slowly explained, "The way I get there is the same way you do. If I'm in space, I sometimes just end up there, like you did. ...Every time I get swept up in the cafe, months or years pass here. But I work in space; so I have no other choice."

Baekhyun let out a sigh that shook his entire frame. A few deep breaths later, he snatched the paper bag off the floor and motioned for Chanyeol to sit down with him.

In between bites of a greasy burger, Baekhyun explained his meeting with Lay to Chanyeol. A content smile spread across his friend's lips, inspiring curiosity from Baekhyun.

"Lay always knows exactly what to say," Chanyeol hummed, "He's always right, too. Especially now."  
Baekhyun's eyebrows raised. Chanyeol smiled, continuing, "I'm willing to be here for you, Baekhyun. On Torii, in the cafe; wherever you go, I go."

Baekhyun's vision misted over. He swallowed harshly, starting to stumble over his words as a hot blush ran over his face. Chanyeol's smile continued to grow and grow, mischief tugging at the corner of his lips. His tongue swiped over his lips as he shifted in his seat, and he joked, "I-I wouldn't mind seein' your face every day, anyway."

After a moment of hesitation, Baekhyun's face lit up with a smirk of his own. He sat up in his chair, folding his hands on the table and joking, "The feelings are mutual," and sealed it with a wink.

The pair broke out in laughter. And, as Baekhyun exchanged more flirty gazes and banter with Chanyeol, a sense of peace overcame him.  
He knew that, as long as he with Chanyeol, everything would be alright.


End file.
